Exercise, Movement and the Adolescent Brain
Oxygen flows through the body via our heart and blood so it should make logical sense that exercise would be good for learning since the brain is an organ tied to our oxygen supply system. However, educators often lose sight of the benefits of exercise in response to the pressures of more academic rigor and expectations. Recent studies by researchers at Dartmouth University support what we already should know—that exercise prior to mental work increases brain activity and neural pathways. This brain development is especially important during the pre-adolescent and adolescent years when brain growth is so rapid.
David Bucci, of Dartmouth, claims, “The implication is that exercise during development, as your brain is growing, is changing the brain in concert with normal developmental changes, resulting in having more permanent wiring (emphasis mine) of the brain in the things like learning and memory.” Other studies using laboratory rats show that those exposed to exercise during the adolescent years have more significant brain growth. These findings have suggested that increased neuron density in the hippocampal region occur with increased physical activity (Cetinkaya, et.al.). Social science researchers who monitor actual human adolescents have similarly found that students who maintain an elevated heart rate for even five to ten minutes prior to taking classes, such as Algebra, perform better than their counterparts who are not physically active before class.
Recent evidence is also showing that certain movement activities that are cross-lateral foster the development of brain connectivity. These activities can include drawing a large infinity sign (a lazy figure eight) on the whiteboard, dribbling a basketball with both hands, or walking a tightrope on the floor. When one hand or foot is on the opposite side of the child’s body, this cross-lateral movement occurs. Crawling is nature’s design for just this type of movement, and there is some evidence that children who skip crawling miss a key component of brain development. Continued practice of whole body cross-lateral movement can help remediate these issues and stimulate brain activity. These strategies are used by many occupational therapists but have made it into fewer regular education classrooms.
BurstTutors’ researchers and practitioners have developed the MindGym tutoring strategies to maximize brain growth through aerobic exercise, cross-lateral movements, and metacognitive (seeing into one’s own thinking) strategies. Our proven methods of student development go far beyond the simple remediation of poor academic performance. We coach students in strategies to make the most of their academic efforts. Brain research combined with tried and true classical education methods make our approach different from your average tutor who only helps your child get through his or her algebra class. We have developed organizational, motivational, and thinking strategies that influence learning across the curriculum.